


5 times Nathan said "I love you" plus 1 time Shoma heard him

by alchemicink



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: 5+1 Things, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Nathan is so American it hurts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:42:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23614681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alchemicink/pseuds/alchemicink
Summary: The first time was a joke really, shouted on a whim for fun.
Relationships: Nathan Chen/Shoma Uno
Comments: 10
Kudos: 64





	5 times Nathan said "I love you" plus 1 time Shoma heard him

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kabigon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kabigon/gifts).



> Hi! I wrote this as a birthday present for blinking_post and she suggested I actually post it lol. I hope the rest of you enjoy it too ^_^

**1)**  
The first time was a joke really, shouted on a whim for fun. 

Shoma is on the ice, brow furrowed in focus like nothing else even existed in that moment. 

Nathan is lingering in the stands with a few other skaters. They chat easily, laughing and joking around. Someone suggests they try to catch Shoma's attention, see his reaction. So Nathan leans forward, cupping his hands around his mouth, simply shouts "I love you!" 

The others laugh, and Nathan thinks Shoma's reaction to that would be a hilarious deadpan glare. 

But Shoma doesn't hear him, never wavers in his skate. Just keeps moving forward. 

Oh well, Nathan thinks. Maybe he'll tease him another time. 

***

**2)**   
The party is headache-inducingly loud. So many people trying to talk over the blaring bass of the stereo. Nathan likes to have a good time at these kinds of parties but today he's _tired._ At this point, he's just hovering around the edges of the partiers, not willing to jump into any of the conversations. 

Shoma finds him leaning against a wall. He looks unamused as usual as he thrusts a bottle of water into Nathan's hands. 

"Oh, I love you, perfect," Nathan says absentmindedly before he downs the cool water. 

Shoma blinks and gestures towards his ear. "Too loud, can't hear." 

Nathan shakes his head, realizing what he'd actually said, and just replies with a loud "thank you." 

***

**3)**   
He has to _go_. He's already cutting it pretty close, and the plane will not wait for him. But he can't find his other pair of skates. How can he even call himself a figure skater if he misplaces one of the most important parts? 

Frantically, he digs through the locker room once more. 

Shoma walks in and dumps the missing pair of skates on a nearby bench. 

"These are yours," he announces curtly, and then turns to leave. 

"Fantastic," Nathan says, still moving like a whirlwind to grab the shoes and stuff them in his bag. He should have left five minutes ago. "Thanks Shoma. Love you, bye!" 

He's halfway down the hallway when he realizes what he's said. Love you? Really? That's a bit much. 

Despite the time slipping away, he turns back around to see if Shoma had even heard him. 

Apparently not, since Shoma is already back on the ice, skating away with that focused one-track-mind. Nathan pauses, wanting to watch, but then he remembers that he really has to _go_. So he dashes away again, skates secure in his bag. 

***

**4)**  
It had taken a lot of convincing to get Shoma to go to the festival with him. But Nathan is glad he finally agreed. It's been worth it to see all the different kinds of faces Shoma makes off the ice. A nose wrinkle of disgust for a food he doesn't like. A half-smile when Nathan wins a kid's carnival game. An exasperated eye roll when Nathan drops half of his ice cream on the sidewalk. 

They make their way to a relatively open area which will give them a decent view of the fireworks. They sit and talk for a while about how life has been since they last saw each other. 

Nathan feels content, mostly. But there's a feeling building in his gut, an idea that's been rolling around in his head for months now. 

When the fireworks start, Shoma tilts his head up to watch, a peaceful look on his face. The noise from each firework explosion is deafening. 

So instead of looking up, Nathan continues to look at Shoma. He wants to test out the theory he's been contemplating. He says "I love you" soft and low, timed perfectly to be swallowed up by another firework. 

Shoma, of course, can't hear him over the echoing boom. 

But Nathan is glad he's said it out loud anyway. Makes it feel more real now and not just some silly idea in his head. 

"You're missing the fireworks," Shoma says, pointing up to the sky. "Pay attention." 

Nathan laughs, and looks up, content. 

*** 

**5)**   
Shoma is asleep on his shoulder. It's a rare moment because Shoma never sleeps on any sort of public transportation. But here on the train, he apparently feels comfortable enough to pass out after a long day together. 

Nathan wraps his fingers around Shoma's hand, and closes his eyes for a moment too. He's not going to sleep, but he just wants to pretend there's no one else on the train but them. 

"I love you," he whispers. And he means it. There is no questioning it anymore. The feeling has taken root and grown until they're both wrapped up together in its vines. 

Shoma snores softly on his shoulder. 

***

**+1)**  
They're both on the ice. Not really practicing even though they should be. They're just skating around, but Nathan just feels happy. Taking a break won't hurt too much. 

"Hey Shoma," he begins, "I love you." 

Perhaps he could have chosen a better time to blurt out the declaration, but the words slip out before he can catch them. 

"I know that," Shoma says, taking Nathan's hand and pulling him forward for a lap around the rink. "Everybody knows that." 

Then Shoma smiles, a real full smile that hardly anyone besides Nathan ever gets to see. 

"I love you too."


End file.
